Assessing the Potential of Maximum Tree-ring Density in Developing Divergence-free White Spruce Chronologies, Northwest Territories, Canada

• Main Author: Quann, Sarah
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Canada; Husky Lakes; Inuvik; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: https://curve.carleton.ca/2e92e5e0-3b83-4747-a5d1-da926dc2d0e0; http://catalogue.library.carleton.ca/record=b3706430; https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2014-10551

Tree cores were collected from white spruce at two study locations near Inuvik, Northwest Territories to evaluate the climate sensitivity of ring-width and maximum density indices. Over 200 trees were sampled to develop four ring-width chronologies dating back as far as 1025 CE and two density chronologies spanning 1321 to 2012 CE and 1383 to 2012 CE, respectively. The chronologies originating from the Campbell Dolomite Uplands are responsive to local precipitation and temperature. The chronologies from Husky Lakes are sensitive to growing season temperatures. The ring-width chronologies at both study locations are weakly and inconsistently correlated with growing season conditions between 1910 and 2009. The density chronologies are consistently correlated to temperature variables at Husky Lakes, and show no evidence of the divergence issue noted in previous ring width studies from this region. These results support the use of maximum density as a temperature proxy throughout the 21st century.